Chain for automobile tires



Filed March 20, 1929 Patented Apr. 25, 1933 i .nDc-ARaMAnrnnor;AooN1A,'NnWirnnrsnmn ,l

onirru iron' AUT-onderin irmns' 4 Appncaeiongmea 'Maren L20, i1929. serial No'. zvnsissu` I `This invention .relates to .anti-skid lChains forautomobileftires. An objeetfo'flthe inven- -tion is :to provide a -ehain which is -loapable ofbeingput on atire conveniently 'and Whioh 5 finiry he'seouredrin place withoutfthe necessity offreachingtozthe inner sideof the tire to get -atia clasp or featch. 'flo this end I :provide 2a "short extension which `may comprise ,la flength of Ichain secured Eto the portion of the xchain `which goes against the inner side of the tire. Y This short length has a Jtree 'end `which may ybe passed through a suitableeye finfthefopposite end'of'the chain, then passed roverlthe tire to fasten in a. Catehlocvated--on tlile fout-side of the ftire -as "hereinafter described. i I* `Another objeotof thezin-vention isto minimize dateral gs'kidding by *the iprovision of suitably arrangeddiagonal links in conj unoftion with the regular Cross-links. f'llhe `invention furthermore relates :to :improved clasps -or catches by which the :free ends yof the chains may be securedtoo'ether, andto crosslinks made of material i aving an 4an- 5fgular cross section liso as `to afford a-ibett'er on :slippery surfaces Ythan is obtainable 'withftheiusual chain'linkslofroundstook.

:Further advantageous features ofzeonstr'uction will be zapparent'to 'one fskilled inthe art from the description of the` :invention 'which 5Jfollows, and from. the drawing, of Wvhiohf'-,v y i Figure 11 shows in eleva-tionfa portion-of the inner` side face: offan automobile Vtire-:having thereon faztireohainembodying the in- `vention. L .m1 Y 1 FigureQiSiaragmentaryperspeotiveview of the` outerside :face of the ltire ehainshown in Figure l.

g Figure -Bisan elevation' ofa? clasp `or "fasltener [for a tire chain.

zliguree is aplan view ofnthessaine,- a por-- tionbeingbroken away.- v u Figure 5 is-a plan 'view of the same;\w1th lthe parts :innlosed position,

'Figureis anfelevation of aunodilied form of fastener,infopen'fpositiom L Figure f i7 yis anelev-ation zof fthe same in closedrposition, y 2

l-l3`figuref8isaragmentarysplan yiew of an passed throughlthe eyer land is drawn 'up `taut -so as to take'thef'slaek-outoffthe side `Inemberl.v The endso-thesidemernber'QO vention e lhe invention hereinutter described :infdf #tail :is designed Ito obvlate the necessity `of vautomobile tire chain embodying therinfreaehing inrbehind .an automobile Wheel fin 55 order to secure .a clasp for fastener adju# centto the inner side itace of theatire., AC- cording to 'the invention Athe itire 'chain illus- .tratedy in :Figures l and 2 xmay Veompnise a pairI ofside lmembers Q() andQLt-he Aformer being adapted to lie against the outer iside `faoeof a' tire' While the ylatter vis designed to :lie againsitfthe inner' :side -facenofithe tire. rFliese side members uniry,':as:shown, be fmade :of i chain of suitable weight :and may be cont- ,ne'etedat suitable -intervals'by oross links ,f2-3 fin yaymarmer `fWell known fin the-tart, these cross links lbeing designed* `tofentend;f-from one side 1face -to the otheriozver 'the'` tread :of the tire so that thesemrosslinks lare eiiective .inigrippinofthe :road when the chain iis properly plaeedJ -upon thetireV Theside member 2x1-may :have at one endv thereof .a suitable eye 24, thiseye being preferably vof, suiicient f-sizeftjo fpermitfa chain of fthe-samefsize fasfthat used for the cross links 23 to pass lfreely therethrough. fht Ethe-'opposite.end of .the ,side

member .211 .may provide Va :flexible extension .25-Wl1ich :is of -s'ufiioient4 length Itofpass :through .thej eye .2 4 and over 4,the ltread lof the tire .so ,as toreacha clasp' or yfastener 26 on the outer face of `.the tire.

The e1asp`26, .as shown in Figure .2, :may Abe permanently `seouredgto one end of .the side" inember 2O, the tolasp 'being adapted .tof engage and Vhold `the oppositefend link of this side meniberas Well asfalink o'theeX- tension25- Inmountinga ohain ofthe kind described upon an automobile tire, 'the chain ymay first be `placed laround the 'tire so tlrat U90 fthe' `dross links 231-pass` across the tread, the

side-member Ql'is against'theinner side face o-the tire, andthe side member`20 is against the outer lside face, The extension 25'lis .are -brought itogether Land secured by l`the -clasp.26,and the lextension125 is lcarried the clasp 26. As shown in Figure 1, when the extension is drawn taut through the eye 24 and then is led off in a direction at right angles to the standing part thereof the adjacent links 27 and 28 thereof, which are in contact with the eye 24, will be substantially vat right angles toeach other so that whenthe extension 25 is secured to the clasp 26, the extension is caught by the angular relation between thelinks 27 and 2S and the side member 21v is kept taut, since the extension 25 is not allowed to slip back to any extent through the eye 24. If desired, the links 27 and 28 may be made longer than the other links of the chain so as to augment the locking effect of the angularity between the two links. It is obvious, -furthermore,f that when the chain is to be removed yfrom the tire it will be unnecessary to reach behind the tire in order to release a clasp. The only clasp to be released will be on the outer accessible sid-e face of the tire. lVhen released from the clasp 26, the extension 25 will slide freely through the eye 24 and the chain may then readily be removed.

VIn order to reduce the possibility of side slip when an automobile is skidding, I may provide a series of diagonal links 29 Which, as shown, may each be secured at one end to one of the cross links 23, the'other end being secured' to one of the side members, such as 'the outer member 20, in such a way that the diagonal link`29 makes acute angles with the cross links 23 and the side member to Ywhich theyareattached. Thus if an automobile tends to slide sidewise in skidding1 the diagonal links 29 of one ofthe wheels will be presented transversely to the direc- 1 vits length from the kbar 31., asfshown in Fig- Yure 4, vto provide room for the reception of chain links toV be secured.v vThe portionY of this memberremote from the pivot 33 is bent inwardly as at 35 and is provided with a projection 36 adapted to enter a recess 37 inthe bar` 3l. In order to lock the projection 36 within the recess 37 I may provide a channel piece 38, pivoted at one endto the bar 31, as at 33. This channel pieceis adapted to be swungdown so as to engage the mutually remotefaces of the portion 35 and the bar 31,v as illustrated in Figure 5, so as teiizrerentjthe mineral Qf the project/ice 36 ranged in mutual opposition so as to be capable of being moved to form a closed eye as shown in Figure 7. The outer edge of the hook 43 may be'formed with a suitable shoulder 44, this shoulder being so located 'as to be spaced a short distance about an edge of the bar v39 when the clasp is in closed -position, as illustrated in Figure 7. I may provide a locking piece 45 to enter the space bctween the shoulder 44 and the adjacent edge of the bar 39 so as to prevent relative pivotal movement between the bars 39 and 40 in a direction to open the eye formed by the hooks 42, 43. For convenience this locking piece 45 may be carried on the end of an arm 46 which may be hinged to the bar 39 as at y47, the shoulder being movable sufficiently beyond the edge of the bar 39 to permit the locking piece 45 to swing into place.` In using a clasp of this type, the bar 40 is manipulated to separate the hooks 42 and 43 sowas to permit theengagement of chain links therewith. The bar 4() will then be swung so as to close thefeye formed by these hooks and thus to retain the links therein. Whenin closed position, the locking piece 45 maybe moved into locking position between the shoulder 44 and the Vbar 39.

An embodiment of this invention having thus `been described, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modiications might be Ymade therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims. v

I claim:

f 1. An anti-skid chain for tires,'comprising a pair of iexible side members, a seriesof cross links connecting said side members at intervals,.a flexible extension on one end of one' of said side members having a free end, means on the other end of the same side member for'slidably engaging said extensiomand means for attaching the free end of said eX- tension to the other said side member.

2. An anti-skid chain for tires, comprising a pair of flexible side members, a series of cross links connecting said side members at intervals, an eye on an end of one of said side members, an extension on the other end of the same side member having a y:free end adapted to pass through said eye and over the tread of the tire to said other side member, and means carried by said other side member for securing both its ends to vsaid extension.

A 3. An antifskd chain :for tires, comprising f ico izo a pair of flexible side members adapted to rest against opposite sides of a tire, cross links connecting said side members at intervals and adapted to pass over the tread of the tire from one side to the other, an eye on one end of one of said side members, a flexible extension on the other end of the same side member having a free end adapted to pass through said eye and across the tread of a tire to the other side member, and means for securing said flexible extension to said other side member.

4. An anti-skid tire chain including a pair of side chains; special terminal links carried on one end of each of said side chains; cross chains connecting said side chains at spaced intervals; one of said side chains having an end extension for locking engagement through said terminal links of said side chains; and a locking member carried on the remainingI end of the other side chain and adapted for removable locking engagement with the end extension of the irst side chain and also for locking engagement With the first mentioned end of the said second side chain.

An anti-skid tire chain including inner and outer side chains; cross chains connecting said side chains; special terminal links carried by 011e end of said side Chains; and y end extension formed on the other end of the said inner side chain and adapted for adjustable locking engagement in said special terminal links of said side chains When extended across the tire as the anti-skid tire chain is placed on a tire; and a locking member carried on the remaining end of said outer side chain with hooks at its opposite ends; one of said hooks being adapted for removable locking engagement With the extended end of said inner side chain, While the hook at the other end of said locking member is adapted for removable locking engagement with the rst mentioned end of the outer side chain to lock the entire anti-skid tire chain on the tire.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

EDGAR J. MARTEL. 

